A student at the University of St Andrews, Daniel Malikzade Afshar, has received an award at the inaugural Student Social Mobility Awards.

The awards took place on Thursday 13 December and were hosted at the House of Lords by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC.

Mr Adshar has been named as one of the “upReach Ten,” an award given to ten students who have “achieved, or have the highest potential to achieve, outstanding success academically, professionally and/or personally.

This might be demonstrated by resilience, determination or initiative, participation in work experience or internship programmes.”

Mr Afshar, who studies Theoretical Physics is the first person in his family to continue education past the age of 15, and has earned a summer internship at Deutsche Bank, having almost been expelled from school.

upReach’s CEO, John Craven, commented in the introduction to the awards brochure, that the awards offer “a reminder that with social mobility in the UK still worse than in most other OECD countries, there is much unrealised potential that we need to tap. The challenge for all of us here is to redouble our efforts, to make sure we are doing whatever we can to ensure everyone has the opportunity to realise their career potential, regardless of social background.”

upReach helps former state educated students with household incomes below £42,620 with interviews, CVs, and with job and internship applications. Associates from 2016 have an average salary that is £5,500 above the graduate average wage.